By 1988 the Handbook of Vegetation Science is well on its way to completion. With 7 volumes in circulation, 3 volumes in the press, and most of the remaining volumes in preparation it appears that the total task can be completed in the early 'nineties. I am especially thankful to Professor Symoens for accepting the task of editing the volume on aquatic vegetation. The main emphasis of work in phytosociology is devoted to land plants, yet the landscape analysis remains incomplete without the consideration of rivers and lakes. Avolume on inland aquatic vegetation must therefore be most helpful to the land vegetation analyst and not only to the specialist on aquatic vegetation. Professor Symoens succeeded in drafting the most competent team for his task. I am sure that all colleagues working in vegetation analysis will be grateful to them that they have taken the time and energy to complete their chapters. Handbook articles are not easy to write and certainly not easy to edit. in the landscape are treated. The The major aquatic components vegetation analysts will welcome the fact that certain physiological and ecological processes of water plants are covered for which otherwise they would have to consult the limnological literature. This volume, together with the forthcoming volume on wetlands, should completely cover the inland aquatic vegetation problematic.

An in-depth exploration of the applications of plant bioactive metabolites in drug research and development

Highlighting the complexity and applications of plant bioactive metabolites in organic and medicinal chemistry, "Plant Bioactives and Drug Discovery: Principles, Practice, and Perspectives" provides an in-depth overview of the ways in which plants can inform drug research and development. An edited volume featuring multidisciplinary international contributions from acclaimed scientists researching bioactive natural products, the book provides an incisive overview of one of the most important topics in pharmaceutical studies today.

With coverage of strategic methods of natural compound isolation, structural manipulation, natural products in clinical trials, quality control, and more, and featuring case studies on medicinal plants, the book serves as a definitive guide to the field of plant biodiversity as it relates to medicine. In addition, chapters on using natural products as drugs that target specific disease areas, including neurological disorders, inflammation, infectious diseases, and cancer, illustrate the myriad possibilities for therapeutic applications.

Wide ranging and comprehensive, "Plant Bioactives and Drug Discovery" also includes important information on marketing, regulations, intellectual property rights, and academic-industry collaboration as they relate to plant-based drug research, making it an essential resource for advanced students and academic and industry professionals working in biochemical, pharmaceutical, and related fields.

The aim of this book is to give an overview of the most important aspects of physiological and biochemical basis for metal toxicity and tolerance in plants. The book is expected to serve as a reference to university and college teachers, students of plant sciences, environmental biology, environmental biotechnology, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, plant molecular biology, and genetics.

As plants see it, humans are not the masters of the Earth but only one of its most unpleasant and irksome residents. They have been on the planet for only about 300,000 years ago (nothing compared to the three billon years of plant evolution), yet have changed the conditions of the planet so drastically as to make it a dangerous place for their own survival. It's time for the plants to offer advice. In this playful, philosophical manifesto, Stefano Mancuso, expert on plant intelligence, presents a new constitution on which to build our future as beings respectful of the Earth and its inhabitants. These eight articles - the fundamental pillars on which plant life is based - must henceforth regulate all living beings.

Peatlands are fascinating ecosystems. They are Boudewijn Beltman, Jon den Held, Harm Piek, inhabited by a wealth of especially adapted plant Drs. Niek van Heijst, Drs. Hermien van Sloch- species, such as peat mosses, insectivorous teren and Dr. Taeke Stol, who participated in plants, and nitrogen-fixing shrubs. They also the early stages of the process. The help of Drs. have a 'memory' often going back thousands of G. J. Baayens in the correction of chapter 5 is years, recorded in the layers of plant remains gratefully acknowledged. accumulated underneath the present plant cover. Chapters 6 and 7 have been supported by the Many peatlands are relatively low-productive foundation 'Oecologia Trajectina', Utrecht, by and species-rich, and show vegetational gradients supplying grants made available by the 'Prins related to water chemistry. Bernhard Fonds', Amsterdam and the 'Beij- Peatlands have long been recognized for many erinck-Popping Fonds', Amsterdam. I am indeb- values. The most conspicuous values appreciated ted to Marjolein Smithuizen and Dick Smit of for the Dutch mires were probably the great the Illustration division of the faculty of Biology, potential of the large nutrient stores in peat soils University of Utrecht, for the large number of for agricultural purposes, and the high calorific drawings they produced for the book. Gerrie value of peat when used as a fuel. These values Bransen helped with the printing of the final have led to large-scale exploitation and destruc- versions of the various chapters.

Transposable elements are short lengths of DNA with the capacity to move between different points within a genome. This process can affect the function of genes at or near the insertion site. The present book gives an overview of the impact of transposable elements on plant genomes and explains how to recognize and study transposable elements, e.g. by using state-of-the-art strategies like "new generation sequencing." Moreover, the impact of transposable elements on plant genome structure and function is reviewed in detail, and also illustrated in examples and case studies. The book is intended both for readers familiar with the field and for newcomers. With large-scale sequencing becoming increasingly available, more and more people will come across transposable element sequences in their data, and this volume will hopefully help to convince them that they are not just "junk DNA."

Mulberry (Morus spp.) is an important horticultural plant in the sericulture industry. It belongs to the family Moraceae. The leaf of mulberry is used to feed the silkworm Bombyx mori L. It is also used as a fodder. Due to its economic and agricultural importance, mulberry is cultivated in many parts of the world. An estimated 60% of the total cost of silk cocoon production is for production and maintenance of mulberry plants. Therefore, much attention is needed to improve the quality and quantity of mulberry leaves. It is vital to increase the production of superior quality mulberry leaves with high nutritive value for the sericulture industry. Although a lot of research is going on in mulberry, very little effort has been made to compile the results of this research in a single book. This book provides an update of recent research works going on in this plant. It describes the taxonomy, conservation of germplasm, genetic diversity of various mulberry species, application of breeding techniques to improve the quality of mulberry, in vitro conservation, application of tissue culture techniques to improve mulberry species, production of haploids and triploids in mulberry and improvement of abiotic stress adaptive traits in mulberry with relevance to adaptiveness to global warming.

."..the book offers a platform to raise thought-provoking questions and encourages in-depth analyses to bridge the gulf between ethnobotany and medical anthropology...Highly recommended." Choice

"The tantalising and rather eclectic selection of edited chapters takes the reader around the world following plants making their way into local pharmacopoeias, symbolic systems, myths and ways of coping with the unknowns of human illness. This book offers a much needed, concise edited volume on plants, health and healing. It brings together research in the disciplines of botany, biochemistry, clinical medicine, anthropology and history highlighting the contributions of multidisciplinary research to promote a more nuanced understanding of medicinal plant use." JRAI

Plants have cultural histories, as their applications change over time and with place. Some plant species have affected human cultures in profound ways, such as the stimulants tea and coffee from the Old World, or coca and quinine from South America. Even though medicinal plants have always attracted considerable attention, there is surprisingly little research on the interface of ethnobotany and medical anthropology. This volume, which brings together (ethno-)botanists, medical anthropologists and a clinician, makes an important contribution towards filling this gap. It emphasises that plant knowledge arises situationally as an intrinsic part of social relationships, that herbs need to be enticed if not seduced by the healers who work with them, that herbal remedies are cultural artefacts, and that bioprospecting and medicinal plant discovery can be viewed as the epitome of a long history of borrowing, stealing and exchanging plants.

Elisabeth Hsu is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oxford, where she has convened its master's courses in medical anthropology since 2001. Based on her earlier studies in biology (botany), linguistics and sinology, she has published widely on the history and anthropology of Chinese medicine.

Stephen Harris was awarded a Ph.D. in plant systematics from the University of St. Andrews in 1990. He has been the Druce Curator of Oxford University Herbaria since 1995 and has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers on genetics and systematics associated with the evolutionary consequences of plant-human interactions.

The career of Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) affords an extraordinary glimpse into the intellectual ferment of late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century Britain. As a popular poet, practicing physician, inventor of speaking machines and mechanical birds, essayer of natural history from geology to meteorology, and proponent of an evolutionary theory that inspired his famous grandson Charles, he left a lasting impression on almost every branch of knowledge. His magnum opus, and the synthesis of his myriad interests, is The Botanic Garden (1792) - an epic poem that aims to "enlist the Imagination under the banner of Science." Part I, The Economy of Vegetation, sings the praises of British industry as a dance of supernatural creatures while part II, The Loves of the Plants, wittily employs metaphors of human courtship to describe the reproductive cycles of hundreds of flowers. Darwin supplements his accomplished verses with (often much longer) "philosophical notes" that offer his idiosyncratic perspective on the scholarly controversies of the day. Despite a recent surge of academic interest in Darwin, however, no authoritative critical edition of The Botanic Garden exists, presenting a barrier to further scholarship. This two volume set comprises a complete, meticulously transcribed, reading text - including all the poetry, prose apparatus, and illustrations - along with extensive commentary that situates Darwin within contemporary debates about the natural sciences. This set will be of interest to readers as the definitive reference edition of The Botanic Garden and due to its efforts to make the work more practically and intellectually accessible to seasoned and novice readers alike. The first volume presents a wide ranging and authoritative introduction to The Botanic Garden, detailing the background to the work and the various contexts in which it should be understood. These include: aesthetic theory and practice, the science of the mind, love and sexuality, politics, spirituality, the natural sciences, and evolutionary theory and the two Darwins. The full text of Part I of the The Botanic Garden, The Economy of Vegetation, then follows accompanied by the editors' annotations, discussion of illustrations and textual notes.

This volume focuses and describes tools, assays, and techniques used to enhance the understanding of the role of auxins and cytokinins. The chapters in this book cover topics such as: microbial manipulation of auxin and cytokinins in plants; interplay between auxin and cytokinin and its impact on MAPK; H2O2 production in Arabidopsis leaves; crosstalk between jasmonate and auxin in plant stress responses of roots; and high-throughput protoplast trans-activation (PTA) screening. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Auxins and Cytokinins in Plant Biology: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource to plant scientists, graduate and under graduate students in addressing their biological questions relevant to the functional implications of auxin and cytokinins.

This proceedings is based on a joint meeting of the two IUFRO (International Union of Forestry Research Organizations) Working Parties, Somatic Cell Genetics (S2.04-07) and Molecular Genetics (S2.04-06) held in Gent, Belgium, 26-30 September, 1995. Although a joint meeting of the two Working Parties had been discussed in the past, this was the first such meeting that became a successful reality. In fact this meeting provided an excellent forum for discussions and interactions in forest bioteclUlology that encouraged the participants to vote for a next joint meeting. In the past decade rapid progress has been made in the somatic cell genetics and molecular genetics of forest trees. In order to cover recent developments in the broad area of biotechnology, the scientific program of the meeting was divided into several sessions. These included somatic embryogenesis, regeneration, transformation, gene expression, molecular markers, genome mapping, and biotic and abiotic stresses. The regeneration of plants, produced by organogenesis or somatic embryogenesis, is necessary not only for mass cloning of forest trees, but also for its application in genetic transformation and molecular biology. Although micropropagation has been achieved from juvenile tissues in a number of forest tree species, in vitro regeneration from mature trees remains a challenging problem in most hardwoods and conifers. The mechanisms involved in the transition from juvenile to mature phase in woody plants are poorly understood. This transition can now be investigated at the molecular level.

Polyploidy - whole-genome duplication (WGD) - is a fundamental driver of biodiversity with significant consequences for genome structure, organization, and evolution. Once considered a speciation process common only in plants, polyploidy is now recognized to have played a major role in the structure, gene content, and evolution of most eukaryotic genomes. In fact, the diversity of eukaryotes seems closely tied to multiple WGDs. Polyploidy generates new genomic interactions - initially resulting in "genomic and transcriptomic shock" - that must be resolved in a new polyploid lineage. This process essentially acts as a "reset" button, resulting in genomic changes that may ultimately promote adaptive speciation. This book brings together for the first time the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of polyploid genome evolution with syntheses of the patterns and processes of genome evolution in diverse polyploid groups. Because polyploidy is most common and best studied in plants, the book emphasizes plant models, but recent studies of vertebrates and fungi are providing fresh perspectives on factors that allow polyploid speciation and shape polyploid genomes. The emerging paradigm is that polyploidy - through alterations in genome structure and gene regulation - generates genetic and phenotypic novelty that manifests itself at the chromosomal, physiological, and organismal levels, with long-term ecological and evolutionary consequences.

The Annual Beltsville Symposium serves as a forum for presenting recent developments in basic research that contribute solutions to agricultural problems. The eleventh in this series focuses on instrumentation tech niques which provide powerful new research tools. These tools will provide information that can lead to a better understanding of biological and physical processes critical to the solution of today's agricultural problems. The tools discussed include isotope technology, separation techniques, microscopy, electro-magnetic spectroscopy, resonance and mass spectrometry and microcomputers. This Symposium brought together scientists who are at the forefront of the development of many of these tools and those who are applying them to problems directly related to agricultural research. WALDEMAR KLASSEN, Director Beltsville Area VII CONTRIBUTORS AND THEIR AFFILIATIONS Norman G. Anderson Youhanna Fares Proteus Technologies, Inc. Phytokinetics Inc. Rockville, MD 20852 College Station, TX 77840 U.S.A. U.S.A. Cherie L. Fisk Edwin D. Becker Office of Research Services Office of Research Services NIH NIH Bethesda, MD 20892 Bethesda, MD 20892 U.S.A. U.S.A. Klaus Biemann John D. Goeschl Phytokinetics, Ltd. Department of Chemistry College Station, TX 77840 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139 U.S.A. U.S.A. R.J. Griesbach Florist and Nursery Crops Laboratory B.A. Bolton Development Quality Laboratory Horticultural Science Institute Agricultural Research Service USDA Western Regional Research Center Beltsville, MD 20705 Agricultural Research Service USDA U.S.A. Albany, CA 94710 U.S.A."

Since the beginning of agricultural production, there has been a continuous effort to grow more and better quality food to feed ever increasing popula tions. Both improved cultural practices and improved crop plants have allowed us to divert more human resources to non-agricultural activities while still increasing agricultural production. Malthusian population predictions continue to alarm agricultural researchers, especially plant breeders, to seek new technologies that will continue to allow us to produce more and better food by fewer people on less land. Both improvement of existing cultivars and development of new high-yielding cultivars are common goals for breeders of all crops. In vitro haploid production is among the new technologies that show great promise toward the goal of increasing crop yields by making similar germplasm available for many crops that was used to implement one of the greatest plant breeding success stories of this century, i. e., the development of hybrid maize by crosses of inbred lines. One of the main applications of anther culture has been to produce diploid homozygous pure lines in a single generation, thus saving many generations of backcrossing to reach homozygosity by traditional means or in crops where self-pollination is not possible. Because doubled haploids are equivalent to inbred lines, their value has been appreciated by plant breeders for decades. The search for natural haploids and methods to induce them has been ongoing since the beginning of the 20th century."

Since the beginning of agricultural production, there has been a continuous effort to grow more and better quality food to feed ever increasing popula tions. Both improved cultural practices and improved crop plants have alIowed us to divert more human resources to non-agricultural activities while still increasing agricultural production. Malthusian population predictions continue to alarm agricultural researchers, especially plant breeders, to seek new technologies that will continue to allow us to produce more and better food by fewer people on less land. Both improvement of existing cultivars and development of new high-yielding cultivars are common goals for breeders of alI crops. In vitro haploid production is among the new technologies that show great promise toward the goal of increasing crop yields by making similar germplasm available for many crops that was used to implement one of the greatest plant breeding success stories of this century, i. e., the development of hybrid maize by crosses of inbred lines. One of the main applications of anther culture has been to produce diploid homozygous pure lines in a single generation, thus saving many generations of backcrossing to reach homozygosity by traditional means or in crops where self-pollination is not possible. Because doubled haploids are equivalent to inbred lines, their value has been appreciated by plant breeders for decades. The search for natural haploids and methods to induce them has been ongoing since the beginning of the 20th century."

In hierdie verbeterde, uitgebreide en aangepaste uitgawe van Algemende Plantkunde is die benadering steeds om basiese plantkunde, die vakwetenskap wat oor plante handel, aan studente bekend te stel. Die boek bied aan studente op voorgraadse vlak 'n waardevolle biologies-wetenskaplike basis. Die skrywers, onder leiding van HP van der Schijff, is gemoeid met die bekende, byna klassieke, maar tog moderne vorm van plantkunde om sodoende die hedendaagse student en navorser tot diens te wees, en aan hom/haar 'n onderbou te gee in die werklikheid van vorm, bou , funksie en voortplanting van die plante waarmee hy/sy werk.

The proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on title], held in Paris, France, May 1993, provide a comprehensive view of the present state of ascomycete systematics. Following an introductory section, are sections devoted to ascoma and thallus structure and ontogeny; conidiomata and mitos

This textbook presents the concepts and processes involved in the soil-plant-atmosphere system as well as its applications in the water cycle in agriculture. Although reaching the frontier of our knowledge in several subjects, each chapter starts at the graduation level and proceeds to the post-doctoral level. Its more complicated subjects, as math and physics, are well explained, even to readers not well acquainted with these tools. Therefore, it helps students read, understand, and developing their thoughts on these subjects. Instructors also find it an easy book with the needed depth to be adopted in courses related to Soil Physics, Agricultural Management, Environmental Protection, Irrigation and Agrometeorology. It serves also as "lexicon" to engineers and lawyers involved in agricultural, environmental cases.

Over the last two decades there has been a growing interest in cyclic nucleotide research in plants with an emphasis on the elucidation of the roles of cGMP and cAMP. In Cyclic Nucleotide Signaling in Plants: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many approaches to better understand the biological role of this important signaling system. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Cyclic Nucleotide Signaling in Plants: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientist in further understanding signal transduction and the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular signaling.

With an ever-increasing demand for more food supply, agricultural scientists will have to search for new ways and technologies to promote food production. In recent decades, plant growth regulators (PGRs) have made great strides in promoting plant growth and development. PGRs are organic compounds which have the ability to dramatically affect physiological plant processes when present in extremely low concentrations (in the range of micro-to picograms). Although all higher plants have the ability to synthesize PGRs endogenously, they do respond to the exogenous sources most likely due to not having the capacity to synthesize sufficient endogenous phytohormones for optimal growth and development under given climatic and environmental conditions. In recent years, PGRs have established their position as a new generation of agrochemicals after pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Interest in the commercial use of PGRs for improving plant growth and crop yields is also increasing because of their non-polluting nature. The use of PGRs in the post-harvest technology is well established and many new breakthroughs have recently been revealed.

Diazotrophic bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen to plant-useable form and this input of nitrogen through biological fixation is of great agronomic importance. The contributions presented in this volume relate to free-living nitrogen fixers and the diazotrophs associated with plants. Symbiotic association of Frankia with non-legumes and cyanobacterial associations are also discussed. Research topics covered in this volume include the biochemistry and genetics of diazotrophs, recent developments in improvement of plant-microbe interactions and their molecular basis, the use of molecular probes in taxonomy and ecology of diazotrophs and reports on field applications, agronomic importance and improvement in methodologies for assessing their contribution to plants. This book provides valuable information not only for researchers working in the field of biological nitrogen fixation but also for biochemistry, molecular biologists, microbiologists and agronomists.

Weeds hold an enigmatic and sometimes-controversial place in agriculture, where they are generally reviled, grudgingly tolerated, and occasionally admired. In most cases, growers make considerable effort to reduce the negative economic impact of weeds because they compete with crops for resources and hinder field operations, thereby affecting crop productivity and quality, and ultimately the sustainability of agriculture. Weed control in production agriculture is commonly achieved through the integration of chemical, biological, and mechanical management methods. Chemicals (herbicides) usually inhibit the growth and establishment of weed plants by interfering with various physiological and biochemical pathways. Biological methods include crop competition, smother crops, rotation crops, and allelopathy, as well as specific insect predators and plant pathogens. Mechanical methods encompass an array of tools from short handled hoes to sophisticated video-guided robotic machines. Integrating these technologies, in order to relieve the negative impacts of weeds on crop production in a way that allows growers to optimize profits and preserve human health and the environment, is the science of weed management.

This book is a collection of experimental studies demonstrating structure-function relationships in various biological systems having particular surface specialization to increase/decrease friction and adhesion. Studies on snake skin, adhesive pads, wing-interlocking devices and sticky mouthparts of insects as well as anti-adhesive and adhesive surfaces of plants are included in the volume containing four main subsections: (1) adhesion, (2) friction, (3) attachment-devices, (4) attachment-related behavior. Numerous experimental methods for characterizing tribological properties of biological surfaces at macro-, micro-, and nanoscale levels are demonstrated. This book is an excellent collection of publications on biotribology for both engineers and physicists working with biological systems as well as for biologists studying friction and adhesion. Inspirations from biology reported here may be also potentially interesting for biomimetics.

The 18 chapters making up In Vitro Haploid Production in Higher Plants are divided into two sections. Section 1 (eight chapters) covers historical and fundamental aspects of haploidy in crop improvement. Section 2 deals with methods of haploid production, including anther culture, micropore culture, ovary culture, pollination with irradiated pollen, in vitro pollination, and special culture techniques, including polyhaploid production in the Triticeae by sexual hybridization, the influence of ethylene and gelling agents on anther culture, conditional lethal markers, and methods of chromosome doubling.